MLS 2026 Full Schedule: Key Dates, World Cup Break, and What Fans Need to Know
MLS 2026 Schedule Guide: Why This Season Feels Different and How to Follow It

If you’ve ever felt like MLS seasons blur together, 2026 won’t. This year’s schedule is built around a rare disruption: a long pause for the FIFA World Cup, hosted in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The result is a calendar that behaves less like one continuous season and more like two connected chapters.

Here’s how the Major League Soccer calendar actually works in 2026, and how fans in the U.S. can follow it without confusion.

Read more:

- Full List of All 30 MLS Teams in 2026: Founding, Owners, Titles, Stars, and Season Outlook

- MLS 2026 Season Preview: Dates, World Cup Pause, Apple TV Changes, and What US Fans Should Watch

The basic shape of the MLS 2026 calendar

  • Opening weekend: February 21–22

  • Regular season end (Decision Day): November 7

  • Matches per team: 34

That part looks familiar. What’s new is what happens in the middle.

MLS will pause league play from May 25 through July 16 for the World Cup. There are no regular-season MLS matches during that stretch. When the league returns in mid-July, it goes straight into a compressed, high-stakes run toward the playoffs.

Think of the season like this:

  • Phase 1: Late February → late May

  • Hard stop: World Cup pause

  • Phase 2: Mid-July → early November

If you keep that mental model, MLS 2026 suddenly becomes much easier to follow.

Why the World Cup pause changes everything

MLS has dealt with international breaks before, but never like this. Instead of patchwork lineups and uneven weeks, the league chose a clean reset.

For fans, this means:

  • Early standings are less trustworthy. A team in first place in May isn’t guaranteed anything by July.

  • Momentum gets wiped out. Hot streaks cool off. Struggling teams get a second chance.

  • The restart matters more than opening day. The first two or three matches after July 16 can swing an entire season.

If you only have time to watch part of the year, the post–World Cup restart is arguably more important than the opening month.

Key dates fans should actually remember

MLS 2026 Schedule Explained: Key Dates, World Cup Break, and What Fans Need to Know
MLS 2026 Key Dates

You don’t need to memorize the entire fixture list. These are the dates that define the season:

Date(s) What it means
Feb 21–22 Opening weekend: first look at new rosters
May 25 MLS pauses for World Cup
July 16–17 MLS returns, season “reboots”
July 29 MLS All-Star Game
Aug 4–Sep 6 Leagues Cup (MLS vs Liga MX)
Nov 7 Decision Day (final regular-season matches)

If you circle July 16 and Nov 7, you’ll never feel lost.

MLS 2026 Regular Season — Full Dates & Matches Outline

Season span:
• February 21 – November 7, 2026 (Regular Season)
• 7-week break for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: May 25 – July 16

February

Saturday, Feb. 21 – Opening Weekend (MLS is Back Weekend)
The entire league is in action with 15 matches on this weekend. Some notable opening matches:
• St. Louis CITY SC vs. Charlotte FC (Season opener)
• D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union (at Audi Field)
• Minnesota United FC vs. Austin FC (Minnesota’s opening match)
(Match list includes all 30 teams across 15 fixtures — full details available on MLS schedule tool.)

Sunday, Feb. 22
More opening weekend matches (completing the full set).

Saturday, Feb. 28 – Week 2 Matches
• Minnesota United FC vs. FC Cincinnati (Minnesota home opener)
• Other Week 2 fixtures across the league (full details via MLS schedule).

March

MLS matches continue every weekend through March, including midweek fixtures for some teams:
Sunday, March 7
• D.C. United vs. Inter Miami CF (M&T Bank Stadium)

March fixtures typically include both weekend and weekday matches where clubs rotate schedules. Full listings by date are available via ESPN or MLS site.

April

Saturday, April 4
• Inter Miami CF vs. (opponent home debut at Miami Freedom Park)

April matchdays run every weekend (April 4, 11, 18, 25) with a mix of home and away games for all teams. Full fixture list can be viewed on MLS schedule tools and broadcast listings.

May

Saturday, May 2 – Week Summary
• LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – home fixture (example announced)

Saturday, May 9 – Example Match
• Atlanta United at LA Galaxy (away)

Wednesday, May 13 & Saturday, May 16
• League matches continue midweek and weekend.

Sunday, May 23
• LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo FC (example home match)

May 25 – July 16

World Cup Break (no MLS league matches) while players join national teams and the FIFA World Cup runs.

July (Post–World Cup Restart)

Thursday, July 16
• MLS action officially resumes with rivalry and derby matches across the league.

Wednesday, July 22 – Rivalry Week
• Examples: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers; Montreal vs. Toronto FC; LA Galaxy vs. LAFC.

Wednesday, July 29
• MLS All-Star Game (Charlotte, NC) — mid-season showcase outing.

August

Matches resume weekly action
• Saturday, Aug. 1
• Wednesday, Aug. 5
• Saturday, Aug. 8
• Wednesday, Aug. 12
• Saturday, Aug. 15
• Wednesday, Aug. 19
• Saturday, Aug. 22
• Wednesday, Aug. 26
• Saturday, Aug. 29
(Exact home/away match details by team available in official MLS schedule listings.)

September

Continued weekly scheduling
• Wednesday, Sept. 2
• Saturday, Sept. 5
• Wednesday, Sept. 9
• Saturday, Sept. 12
• Wednesday, Sept. 16
• Saturday, Sept. 19
• Wednesday, Sept. 23
• Saturday, Sept. 26
(All matches are part of the regular season for positioning before playoff push.)

October

Final regular-season month
• Wednesday, Oct. 7
• Saturday, Oct. 10
• Wednesday, Oct. 14
• Saturday, Oct. 17
• Wednesday, Oct. 21
• Saturday, Oct. 24
• Wednesday, Oct. 28
• Saturday, Oct. 31
(These matchdays include intense playoff-race fixtures — full match lists can be found on MLS schedule pages.)

November

Saturday, Nov. 7 — Decision Day (Final Regular-Season Matches)
• Final round of 34th matches for all teams.

After Nov. 7, MLS Cup Playoffs begin later in November.

Where to Check the FULL Official MLS 2026 Schedule

Because match times, stadiums, and broadcast details may change, fans should always rely on official or verified platforms.

Here are the best direct sources:

Official MLS Website (Best & Most Accurate)

Full Schedule & Scores Page:
https://www.mlssoccer.com/schedule

Features:

  • Filter by team

  • Filter by date

  • View kickoff times

  • Stadium details

  • TV broadcast info

  • Automatic updates if matches change

This is the most reliable source.

Team-Specific Schedule Pages

Every MLS club has its own official site with a dedicated schedule section.

Example clubs:

  • Inter Miami CF

  • LA Galaxy

  • Seattle Sounders FC

  • Atlanta United FC

You can visit each team’s official website and click “Schedule” to see:

  • All 34 matches

  • Home vs away breakdown

  • Stadium info

  • Ticket links

ESPN MLS Fixtures

https://www.espn.com/soccer/league/fixtures/_/name/usa.1

Useful for:

  • Quick daily viewing

  • International timezone conversion

  • Broadcast listings

How the schedule affects rivalries and drama

MLS has quietly learned that timing matters. In 2026, the league is expected to lean on rivalry games and high-interest matchups right after the World Cup pause. The goal is simple: pull fans back in fast.

That creates a different rhythm than usual:

  • Rivalries may feel more intense in July than in March.

  • Teams fighting for playoff spots get less time to recover from mistakes.

  • Late-season matches carry more weight because there’s less calendar left to fix problems.

For neutral fans, this is good news. The second half of the season should feel tighter, louder, and more urgent.

What busy fans should track week to week

Instead of checking the full league table every week, focus on these three things:

Points per game, not total points
The pause creates uneven match counts. Points per game tells the real story.

The playoff cut line in your conference
MLS playoff races are conference-based. Watch spots 6–10 more than the top.

Form after the restart
Teams that start fast after July 16 often ride that wave into September.

This approach saves time and makes the standings easier to understand.

How Leagues Cup fits into the calendar

Leagues Cup runs August 4 to September 6, right in the heart of the second phase of the season. It doesn’t count toward MLS standings, but it absolutely affects them.

Why?

  • Squads rotate more.

  • Injuries pile up.

  • Momentum can flip quickly.

For fans, Leagues Cup is best treated as a side tournament with real consequences, not background noise.

Why Decision Day still matters

Even with the World Cup pause and a crowded summer, MLS keeps its traditional ending: Decision Day on November 7, when most matches kick off simultaneously.

This is where:

  • Playoff spots are decided

  • Seeding shifts at the last minute

  • Casual fans can watch chaos without context and still enjoy it

If you only watch one MLS matchday all year, this is the one.

FAQs

When does MLS 2026 start and end?

Opening weekend is February 21–22. The regular season ends November 7 on Decision Day.

Why is there a long break in the middle of the season?

MLS pauses from May 25 to July 16 to accommodate the FIFA World Cup.

When does MLS resume after the World Cup?

League play resumes July 16–17.

What’s the most important part of the schedule to watch?

The first few weeks after July 16 and Decision Day on November 7.

Bottom line

MLS 2026 isn’t just another season with different dates. It’s a split-year experiment shaped by the World Cup, designed to restart fast and finish loud. If you understand the pause and the restart, you’ll understand the season.